


Shatterpoint

by Transformers0



Series: Shatterpoint Universe [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 100 Year War (Avatar TV), Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Airbending & Airbenders, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Romance, Best Friends, Blood and Injury, Blood and Torture, Blood and Violence, Cage, Cages, Captivity, Chains, Child Abuse, Child Soldiers, Childhood, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Children, Coming of Age, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Dark Fantasy, Developing Friendships, Drama, Drama & Romance, Dysfunctional Family, Earthbending & Earthbenders, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Epic, Epic Friendship, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Angst, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Family Loss, Family Member Death, Family Reunions, Fantasy, Firebending & Firebenders, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Growing Up, Growing Up Together, Harm to Children, High Fantasy, Hundred Year War, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, Injury, Injury Recovery, Loss of Innocence, Love, Major Character Injury, Non Benders (Avatar), Past Child Abuse, Prison, Prisoner of War, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Serious Injuries, Slow Romance, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team Feels, Team Fluff, Team as Family, Teambuilding, Tearjerker, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, Teenagers, Torture, True Love, Violence, War, Waterbender Prison, Waterbending & Waterbenders, Wrongful Imprisonment, prisoners of war, serious injury, shackles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2020-07-23 17:55:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20012422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Transformers0/pseuds/Transformers0
Summary: The Southern Raiders capture a young waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. Six years later, a lonely big brother finds the Avatar frozen in an iceberg.Cross-posted from FF.net.





	1. Prologue 1: The Last Waterbender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Southern Raiders capture a young waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Published on: January 2, 2019 (FF.net)
> 
> Published on: July 29, 2019 (AO3)

**Shatterpoint**

**Prologue 1: The Last Waterbender**

Her big brother was acting all high and mighty again.

Katara hadn't been around to hear how it started, but she had heard that the older kids hadn't allowed Sokka to join in their games.

Their reasoning? Something about Sokka not being able to tie a proper knot. And... there might have been a few jabs about his major screw-up on his first ever hunt yesterday.

And now, Sokka was fuming, muttering things about how he was "the better warrior".

She had been fine with giving her big brother space to vent, but that notion evaporated when Sokka started ranting about the female members in the older kids' group.

"They're girls, which means that I'm better than them!"

Katara disagreed and showed it by packing a snowball together and lobbing it at her brother's head.

"Oh yeah? You can't beat me!" she challenged, before running off to find cover. And so the siblings' snowball fight began.

* * *

Despite Sokka doing his best to form a small snow barrier over the next half-hour or so, his little sister easily got the better of him. Despite not having any sort of training whatsoever, the fact that the little girl could waterbend gave her the edge in their match.

With rather precise aim for an 8-year-old, Katara managed to headshot her brother. The snowball hit Sokka straight in the center of his face this time, bowling him over as his little sister giggled in glee.

Then the black snow came.

Firebenders were approaching.

"I'm going to find Mom!" said Katara as she started running, as fast as her short legs could carry her.

That left Sokka to find their Dad.

Rushing around the scattering villagers, it was a challenge for Katara not to be accidentally trampled by the taller bodies.

Within a few minutes, though, she had soon arrived at her family's igloo. The little child pushed open the curtain to find her mother on her knees at the mercy of a Fire Nation soldier.

"Mom!"

* * *

Little Sokka was also weaving his way around scattering villagers. The women, children and elderly were running back further inside the village to find shelter, while the men were advancing to the front to fight.

One of them recognized Sokka, and dropped to one knee in front of the boy. It was his father's friend, Bato.

"Sokka, what are you doing here? A battlefield is no place for a child. Go join your mother and sister in the house."

"But I wanna fight!" the boy protested.

But Bato seized him with a stern gaze.

"Go, now!"

That command brokered no argument, and so Sokka turned around to find the way to his house.

* * *

"Just let her go, and I'll give you the information you want!" Kya pleaded, frantically trying to hide the truth, desperate to keep her only daughter safe.

"You heard your mother. Get out of here!" the soldier snarled at the young girl.

Katara flinched, tears of terror welling up in her eyes.

"Mom, I'm scared," her voice came out pitifully small.

Her mother fixed her with brave eyes and a loving smile.

"Go find your dad, sweetie. I'll handle this."

She heard her mother's command, and that was enough to make her follow.

As she sprinted away from their igloo, she bumped into her brother, who was heading the other way.

"Sokka, you've gotta find Dad! I think Mom's in trouble! There's a man in our house!"

"Alright," Sokka replied as he turned back towards the battle, "But stay away from there until Dad and I come back!"

"But I have to help Mom!" Katara protested.

"You can't!" yelled Sokka, clutching his sister's arm when she tried to pull away, "Listen to me for once!"

"I have to, Sokka!"

"No!"

"I _have_ to!"

"NO!"

Katara looked stung, but Sokka continued.

"You can't fight! You're not a warrior! Don't do anything stupid!"

"But I—"

"Stay _away_ from there!" the older brother firmly ordered once more. He ran off, and soon disappeared from view.

But unknown to Sokka, his little sister had chosen to deliberately disobey him.

Katara wouldn't leave her mother. She wouldn't.

* * *

"Now tell me, who is it? Who's the waterbender?"

"There are no waterbenders here. The Fire Nation took them all away a long time ago," the words came out of Kya's mouth steady and strong, even though she knew it was a lie.

What was thought to be the last few waterbenders of the South were taken by the Fire Nation over a decade prior. And then, one day, Katara had been born.

When their infant daughter had first shown signs of bending capabilities during long-winded crying spells, Kya and Hakoda's hearts were burdened with the knowledge that one day their baby could be taken from them forever, if they weren't careful.

Now, with a Fire Nation soldier interrogating her in the confines of her own home, Kya came to the painful realization that she and her husband hadn't been careful enough.

"You're lying," the soldier growled, "My source says there's one waterbender left in the Southern Water Tribe. We're not leaving until we find the waterbender!"

Kya made a decision and steeled herself, ready for her sacrifice.

"If I tell you," she began, closing her eyes, "Do you promise to leave the rest of the village alone?"

The soldier said nothing and narrowed his eyes through his helmet, but nodded.

"It's me," Kya said, finally looking up, "Take me as your prisoner."

The soldier sneered wickedly.

"I'm afraid I'm not taking prisoners today…" he drawled, before flames started sprouting from his hands.

Kya shrank back in fear, though the worst was yet to come.

"No! Mom!" a shrill, squeaky voice cried out.

A small wave of snow extinguished the flames in the firebender's hands, but otherwise did no physical damage at all.

The soldier spun around to find the little girl from earlier, staring dumbfounded at her own handiwork.

"Katara, what have you _done_?!" screeched Kya, maternal instincts and panic seizing her body.

But before the woman could do anything else, the soldier struck first, delivering a vicious punch to Katara's stomach that doubled the little girl over and left her winded, before whipping back around to face the matriarch. His fists ignited again.

"You know," he smirked, "It was brave of you to lie to try and protect your daughter. But alas, your efforts have ultimately proved futile. And now, you shall both pay the price."

The sound of the fire on his hands droned higher, the flames burning brighter until they were a white-blue. Cocking back his arm, the soldier drew in breath, charging up his chi.

Then thrusting his arm out, the soldier shot out lightning from his fingertips.

Kya was struck directly in the heart and went down with a horrific scream.

Still unable to breathe properly, Katara could only let out a weak scream of her own, her pitiful cry intermingling with her mother's. Tears of pain, grief and fear now flowed freely down her cheeks.

The soldier took out a gag and a pair of shackles, and started towards her.

"As for you," he smiled evilly, "You are coming with me."

* * *

"Dad! Dad!"

After flipping a firebender onto the ground, Hakoda spun around to find his 9-year-old son standing on a small ledge.

"Sokka, what are you doing here?!" the chief exclaimed furiously, anger born of worry for his son's safety.

"Katara and Mom are in trouble! There's a soldier in our house!"

The frantic words that had spilled out of his son's mouth made Hakoda's blood freeze.

"No," he whispered, and broke into a run, praying desperately to Tui and La that his wife and daughter were still okay. Still safe. Still alive.

Sokka followed close behind, adrenaline allowing him to keep pace with his father.

But when they brushed past the curtain into their igloo, Hakoda's hopes shattered like fragile ice.

His wife lay dead, her open eyes locked in a vacant gaze, unseeing and unblinking.

And his daughter was bound and gagged at the hands of a Fire Nation soldier.

"Ah, Chief Hakoda, I believe you came here to discuss with me the terms of your unconditional surrender," the soldier stated nonchalantly.

"And just why would I want to do that?" Hakoda snarled, readying himself to charge, to fight to the death to protect his children.

Unfortunately, the leader of the Southern Raiders had anticipated as much and moved to hold a fire dagger millimetres away from Katara's face. The young girl let out a muffled whine through her gag.

"You don't seem to be in much of a position to barter with me, chieftain," the raider continued, "So I am going to make this simple for you. You will have your warriors stand down, and you will let my men depart from your village with no trouble at all. We shall also take your daughter, the last Southern waterbender, with us. Do all of that and no further harm shall come down upon your people today, and your daughter's life shall be spared."

Hakoda's fists clenched in broken rage and helplessness. There was no way to win, no loophole to abuse. He had lost.

Katara was going to pay for his mistakes. Kya had already did.

"Fine," the chieftain said at last, "You win."

"Dad, no!" Sokka cried.

"Son, there is no other way," Hakoda calmly reasoned, doing everything he could not to break, "Now go and tell the men to stand down."

Unable to cope with this turn of events any longer, Sokka fled the house. Following his father's orders was the only thing that his young mind could process right now.

Hakoda turned back to the raider, who flashed him a wicked sneer.

"I'm so glad you could see things my way, chief."

* * *

In the end, the people of the Southern Water Tribe could only stand back and watch as the Fire Nation soldiers marched past, their last waterbender held with the leader of the raiders as a trophy.

"Take a good look at your people one last time, young one," the leader hissed to his captive, "For after today, you shall _never_ see them again."

Katara blinked her eyes in a futile attempt to clear away tears that leaked freely and continuously. She had to commit one last image of her people — her family — to her memory before they disappeared from her sight forever.

As the soldiers walked up the metal steps to the entrance of their ship, Katara's eyes managed to find the people whom she loved most in the world.

Gran-Gran was weeping inconsolably. The supportive arms of the other village elders standing in solidarity with her completely failed in providing her with any comfort.

Dad had made his way to the front of the mass of villagers, his own eyes glinting with unshed tears.

And Sokka, her brother, her _beloved_ big brother — who annoyed her, and teased her, and yet loved her more fiercely than anyone else in the world — tried to break free from their father's grip and chase after her.

But for everyone's safety, Hakoda couldn't let that happen.

Sokka was left futilely reaching out his small arms as the raiders marched up the last few steps and the ship's door began to close, taking his little sister with it.

"Katara! Katara!" he screamed in utter desolation.

Just before the hull door closed, Katara heard the dying echoes of her brother's call.

Then the cold metal door slammed shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cross-posted from FF.net from my account "Transformers 0".
> 
> This is my first-ever story on this site.


	2. Prologue 2: The Death of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Southern Raiders return home to the Fire Nation with their young prisoner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Published on: January 15, 2019 (FF.net)
> 
> Published on: August 6, 2019 (AO3)

**Prologue 2: The Death of Hope**

Katara was roughly tossed onto the unforgiving metal floor of the ship's brig.

Her prison cell lacked the basic commodities for living, with the exception of a crude, thin straw mat on the floor, which she guessed was for sleeping.

Not that she would be getting much sleep though.

A small team of soldiers filed into her cell. One of them bent down to start loosening her gag. As soon as it came off, she started to wail.

"I wanna go home! I wanna go home!"

A fire punch that came threateningly close to her face shut her up.

"Silence, brat," one of them hissed at her, his voice sounding venomously inhuman through his helmet, "If you want to live, stop your crying and do as we say. And _don't_ try to escape."

As one of the soldiers started unlocking her shackles, Katara feebly nodded, too cowed to protest any further.

When he had finished freeing her hands, she sat up submissively, rubbing her wrists. One of the other soldiers tossed a prison uniform down on the floor in front of her. It consisted of a pair of dark brown pants, and a lighter brown tunic with short sleeves. The uniform looked ragged and worn.

"Now," said the first soldier, "Take off all of your clothes, except your undergarments. Then change into these."

Again, Katara nodded timidly and did as she was told.

She started by taking off her boots and socks. Her parka, knitted by her now-dead mother, was discarded next, though not without pangs of mournful longing and sorrow. Her gloves, undershirt and pants then followed, leaving her little body clothed only in sarashi wrappings.

For reasons that the young girl couldn't entirely fathom yet, she found herself greatly intimidated by the leering looks that the soldiers gave her. So she resolved to put on her prison uniform as fast as her trembling hands could manage.

The fabric of the pants scratched her skin uncomfortably, and the hems were ripped in jagged patterns. The texture of the tunic wasn't much better, and it had several patches in the front and back of its midsection.

When Katara had finished, she looked up at the guards, who had yet to react.

"Um… I'm done," she said, feeling self-conscious.

"Good," the leader replied. He turned to where the girl had piled up her water tribe clothing, and with a spark of flame set them alight.

"No!" shouted Katara, but it was too late. Distraught and frightened, she began to cry loudly again.

Rough hands seized her shoulders and shoved her small body against the metal wall.

"Shut _up_ ," hissed the soldier who had pinned her. None too gently, he yanked out her hair clips and hair ties, eliciting sharp cries of pain from her, and tossed them into the fire, which was now starting to burn out.

He finally released her and she slumped to the ground, overwhelmed by shock and fear.

The leader spoke up again.

"Now go to sleep and tomorrow you shall be given food and water."

With that, he turned to leave. The rest of the guards followed him out and the cell door banged shut.

Katara curled up on the mat, clutched the loose strands of her dishevelled hair, and wept.

* * *

Having cried herself to sleep, Katara was abruptly woken the next morning by harsh banging on the door of her cell.

"Wake up, scum! Your food is here!"

A grate at the bottom of the door slid open, and a food tray was pushed through, scraping horribly against the floor.

Katara cringed at the noise and then made her way over to the tray. She was thirsty, and she was starving.

There was only a slice of bread, and a small cup of water. But at the very least, it was _something_.

The little girl wolfed down the slice of bread and quickly gulped down the water. She soon came to regret rushing through her breakfast when she realized that it would probably be hours before her next meal. The dull ache of hunger in her stomach had lessened, if only for a little while, but she had now noticed that her thirst hadn't been entirely quenched.

There was the sound of harsh banging on her cell door again.

"Put your tray near the slot when you're finished. And hurry up, otherwise I'm coming in to take your food away!" the soldier's voice yelled from the other side.

Katara followed the command and then went back to lying down on the mat. She would daydream the time away.

The slot slid open again and a pair of armoured hands grabbed the tray, before the grate closed once more. But by then, Katara was lost in her memories.

Memories of snow, and ice. Of snowmen and snowball fights.

She and her mother pitted against her big brother and father. All of their excited shrieks and joyful laughter intermingling in a happy, harmonic melody that made the young family forget about the horrors of the war, and gave them escape from the difficult hardships of their lives.

And when they had had their fun, Gran-Gran would call them inside the igloo for dinner. And they would join her and eat happily together.

Homesickness washed over Katara like the ocean's tide and she began to sob again.

* * *

A few minutes later, a soldier came in with a metal bucket, and told her to do nature's business.

Though he threatened to burn her if she tried to bend anything, which left her bewildered.

What exactly could she bend in this place? They only gave her enough water to drink, and…

Oh.

_Oh yuck._

* * *

Lunch was given to her after several hours.

Another meagre slice of stale bread and another small cup of water that again failed to entirely sate her hunger and thirst.

Dinner was served after an afternoon of periodically alternating between a bored state of mind, and degenerating into tears of uncertainty and heartache.

A slice of bread and a little bit of water. Again. She still ate and drank what was given, taking in a small amount of comfort at the fact that she was still being fed.

Then afterwards, she'd lie down and drift off into more dreams of home. The ever-so-slight rocking of the boat on the ocean was a small comfort that she was grateful to the spirits for. It helped her find sleep a little bit easier.

But she was still a prisoner here. And her dreams would end up transforming into nightmares, resulting in her waking up in the dead of night, screaming and crying until her rapidly beating heart finally accepted the utter hopelessness of her situation.

And then, with her spirit broken, she'd go back to an uneasy sleep.

* * *

That was the pitiful routine that she resigned herself to for the rest of the voyage.

She eventually lost count of the days as they bled into weeks, and when the movement of the boat finally came to a halt, she was sure it had been over a month. Likely much longer than that.

The door gave a clank and slid open.

The same team of soldiers who had settled her in for the voyage entered her cell once more.

The leader approached her first.

"Your wrists will be tied and afterwards you will follow us out. Unless you want to die, _don't_ try anything stupid," he said, yellow eyes glaring down at her.

Katara acknowledged the order with a small nod. Her wrists were tied in front of her, the coarse ropes rubbing against her soft skin. But finally, for the first time since she had been taken on board, she was led out of her cell.

After negotiating a maze of metallic corridors and climbing up several flights of stairs, the group reached the main deck. As they passed through the doors, Katara felt her senses swamped by the intense heat of the tropics. Though her prison rags were threadbare, the pervasiveness of the hot climate almost immediately caused her to start sweating away what very little moisture her body had left.

She swallowed nervously when she remembered that the last time she had drank water was during yesterday's dinner.

The sunlight painfully pierced her eyes. She had been locked away in the cell for weeks, and the only sources of light in that dark metal box were two small flaming torches on the left and right walls, and a small glass window on the door.

The sun had also heated up the metal deck of the ship. Her small legs trembled as her bare feet walked along the hot surface, step by painful step.

Walking down the wooden plank from the ship onto the dock was simply a change of one foul location to the next.

Villagers, pale-skinned and tall, so much unlike her people back home, greeted the Southern Raiders as they returned from their latest expedition.

Then they spotted the little waterbender at the back, being dragged along by the rope like livestock. Their stares turned from curious to merciless.

Jeers from the crowd filled the air, and Katara heard curses and insults levelled at her. She kept her mouth clamped shut, desperate not to cry.

Cruel mercy gave her that wish when the leader of the Southern Raiders barked orders for the villagers to clear a pathway for the soldiers. They were headed on foot to the Fire Nation capital.

* * *

A few hours passed during the trek, during which time the sun rose ever higher in the sky.

During a water break by a small stream, Katara got a little time to herself to silently ponder the irony of how she would've appreciated, for once, to see some thick grey clouds in the crystal blue sky. Back home, stormy grey clouds brought raging blizzards and thick snowfalls, while a clear sky meant a brief respite from the unforgiving cold of the South Pole. In the Fire Nation, clouds would've given her shade against the burning glare of the sun.

Realizing that homesickness was threatening to swamp her mind again, Katara forced herself to brood on something else. Mild stinging on her arms and legs made her eyes wet, and blinking through her tears, she looked upon her recently attained wounds.

Her bare feet were cut, bruised and bleeding from walking along the rough roads. Her knees were scraped and bloodied from the three times that she had tripped and fell along the way. Her wrists had been rubbed raw from the rope tied around them.

She wanted to sleep, to faint, to let unconsciousness whisk her away, but she didn't dare for fear of cruel retribution from the soldiers.

Somewhere from the front, a scout shouted that the capital was within sight, and within a few moments the soldier who held her rope painfully yanked her to her feet and led her away from the shade of the tree where she had been resting.

The pace had quickened. The soldiers were jogging now, and with her smaller body and shorter legs, Katara had to run to keep up. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest, and stitches in her stomach made it nearly impossible for her to breathe. The road had turned into a torturous uphill endeavour.

But mercifully, after a few minutes of agony, they had reached the entrance to the city.

The group slowed to a casual walk, which was another thing that Katara was immensely grateful to the spirits for. It also allowed her to observe the city that lay before her. Or rather, _below_ her.

The Fire Nation Capital was situated inside a huge crater. Gran-Gran had told her tales of how huge cavities in the ground came into being by forming themselves out of extinct volcanoes – huge mountains that could shoot molten earth.

The volcano which housed the city had long since died off, and what had once been a place of origin for destruction now hosted hundreds of people in a thriving environment.

* * *

The citizens of Royal Caldera City had received the news from their Fire Lord.

The Southern Raiders had returned and had brought with them the last waterbender from the South Pole.

To celebrate, the city had been transformed into one big festival ground. Coloured flags, banners and ribbons were strung up on every building. There was a band playing in the town square, and large quantities of the Fire Nation's best cuisine and produce were on sale in the main streets.

It was a lively and exuberant atmosphere.

For most people, anyway.

"Ugh, could this day get any more _boring_?" droned a young girl of 9 years of age. Her ebony black hair was fashioned into a pretty hairstyle for the momentous occasion, though one could tell by the look on her face that she pretty much wasn't enjoying it. Not one bit. Not at all.

"Mai," her mother hissed warningly, "Behave yourself or you shall be skipping lunch during the festival."

"Yes, mother," sighed Mai sadly, frustration also building up in her heart, "Can I go find Ty Lee and the others?"

"Yes, but join your father if he goes looking for you."

That was the answer that Mai had been hoping for.

She found Ty Lee hanging out with Azula, near the Fire Lord's banquet table.

"Hey, whatcha doing?" Mai drawled.

"Mai, it's good to see you!" Ty Lee beamed, skipping over next to her. Azula sidled up to them.

"Greetings, Frown Face," smirked the princess.

"Where's your brother?" sighed Mai, rolling her eyes. She was not in the mood for this. Suddenly, spending time with Zuko sounded like the better option, even if he was a boy and a year older than her.

"Off to the side with mother."

Mai muttered her thanks as she slinked past the younger pair of girls.

* * *

After Mai had skulked off, Ty Lee turned innocently to Azula.

"Was it something we said?

"Ah, she'll bounce back."

Not one to dwell on potential negatives, Ty Lee turned her mind to more intriguing matters.

"How soon do you think the Southern Raiders will arrive?"

"I don't know for sure, Ty Lee," Azula responded, yawning for dramatic effect, "The city has already been in a state of excitement for days. I don't know if all the preparation has been worth it for just one water tribe peasant, but if the capture of the savage brings us closer to winning the war, I'm all game for it."

"What do you think she's like?"

"What makes you think it's a _she_ , Ty Lee?"

"Just got this feeling…"

"It could be a he, it could be a she. They could be young, they could be elderly. I don't care. As long as they suffer."

"Okay, sure," Ty Lee smiled.

Sometimes, the easy-going and agreeable nature of her self-proclaimed best friend startled even Azula. Though the little princess quickly shoved the thought to the back of her mind.

 _Obedience from subjects is always desired_ , her father always told her.

* * *

Ty Lee, meanwhile, had sensed a change of atmosphere. Over the past few days, the city had been filled with excited bustle as preparations for the festive occasion had commenced, and it had increased today when news that the Southern Raiders had docked finally reached the capital and the celebration began proper.

But they had still yet to see the waterbender make its appearance.

But something, somewhere in the city, had stirred the crowd's attention, for a hush was beginning to spread amongst the people.

Ty Lee then observed Fire Lord Azulon making his way to his raised seat in the plaza, without a word. Prince Ozai took his place on a seat beside his father's. Azula raced over and Ozai picked her up, settling her comfortably into his lap.

Ty Lee decided to hover close nearby to her friend, so as to get a good view. She stood a few paces away from the prince's chair.

The area around her was beginning to grow quieter, and she could see that people were starting to part off to the sides to make way.

The main show was about to begin.

* * *

"I think the star attraction has arrived," Mai said to Zuko as the quietness of the crowd became increasingly apparent.

"Mom? Can Mai and I go watch from the stairs?" the young prince asked his mother.

"Of course, Zuko," Princess Ursa answered.

Taking Mai by the hand – and not noticing the blush that crept up on her cheeks – Zuko led the way to the stairs near the center of the plaza, where his grandfather's seat was.

There, he observed that his father had already sat down at his place in anticipation, and he spotted Azula making her way over to their sire. Ozai gently picked her up and placed her on his lap, and a feeling of envy bubbled within Zuko's stomach. Thankfully, Mai chatting beside him distracted him from his thoughts.

"Well… where is it?"

"Who?" he asked distractedly.

"The waterbender, duh."

Mai needn't have asked, for soon the last of the people blocking their view parted, and the Southern Raiders' procession marched into the town square. Their live trophy was displayed at the front, the threat of a spear aimed at her back keeping her walking along, though at a meek and timorous pace.

It had become apparent on why the crowds had fallen silent. Most of the citizens had been expecting a fully-fledged and fully-matured waterbending master as a war prize.

Instead they saw a frightened little girl.

 _"She looks to be around Ty Lee and Azula's age, but a bit younger,"_ thought Zuko, nonplussed. Beside him, Mai wasn't quite sure how to react to this revelation either.

Glancing at his mother, who was standing in the midst of the gathering, Zuko saw pity and remorse etched on her features.

He briefly wondered if kidnapping and imprisoning a child was something his nation should take pride in.

The little girl was trying hard to ignore the obtrusive stares that his people were shooting her way. Fearful of looking at anything else, her blue eyes just gazed down at her bare feet, which were caked with dirt and blood. She looked like she was in agony with every step she took, and occasionally she stumbled in pain.

Clad in her ragged prison uniform, she looked downright pathetic.

A part of him, the part of him that Mother cherished and loved so dearly, felt sorry for the poor child. He knew very well what it was like to be a laughingstock to the public. But his Father condemned such thoughts, labelling them as weaknesses. The part of him that his sire cultivated and fostered told him to take pleasure in seeing such a pitiful waste of life being laid low.

This clash of conscience raged inside the young prince's head. The dualities of his parents' philosophies waged war against each other, wearing down his psyche. The moral dilemma unfolding right now threatened to overwhelm him, and he silently wished that his Uncle was here, not off fighting in the war, leading the Siege of Ba Sing Se. Even if it brought his Uncle great honour, Zuko desperately craved for his advice right now.

Before his mind broke with the strain and he did something on instinct that he would come to regret later, Azula decided to take charge.

"Oh, look at the poor little peasant! Wanna _cry_?"

One moment later, the entire assembly of citizens erupted into a noisy hive of contemptuous scorn.

* * *

It was a horrible cacophony of insults, ridicule and mockery.

Katara was sure she'd go deaf. Or insane. Either way, she didn't care.

She just wanted it to stop.

Was it not enough that they had killed her mother?

Was it not enough that they had taken her away from her home?

What else could they possibly gain from humiliating her too?

_Stop. Stop it! Please, just stop it!_

But they didn't. No matter how hard she wished.

With the spiteful taunts of the unrelenting villagers battering down on her soul, Katara felt like she was turning to clay. Movement in this cruel world of captivity and heartlessness seemed like an unreachable goal, an impossible task.

Only the sharp jab of the spear against the rear of her shoulder made her move her legs on instinct. But she continued on with her wet eyes fixated on the road, unwilling to look up. Her long hair helped somewhat in hiding her shame, loose strands hanging in front of her face.

She was pulled to a stop in front of the Fire Lord's plinth, where he, his family and his closest advisors all sat. She shrank under their withering stares. The worst of it came from a girl who smirked smugly at her. The utter lack of compassion in the girl's dark, golden eyes made Katara shiver.

However, upon closer inspection, she noticed that the mother of the girl – her guess based off the similar features the two shared – looked resigned and haunted. Almost sad, even.

And the older boy standing nearby, he looked confused. Addled. Bewildered at the sight before him. He seemed to pity her, if that was even possible for someone from the Fire Nation. Katara thought that the boy looked like the older brother of the girl who had been sneering at her, and momentarily she thought of Sokka, back home. Her heart ached at the thought. A cold voice spoke up before she had much of a chance to truly dwell on these feelings, though.

"We've seen enough," the Fire Lord said at last, "Take her to the Waterbender Prison."

The soldier holding her rope took the lead again and dragged her along once more. The rest of the Southern Raiders followed in procession.

At least they could leave quietly, it seemed.

But then…

"Enjoy your stay there, peasant!"

The girl was sneering at her again, and the rest of the mob restarted their hollering.

With the horrible, cruel jeers assaulting her hearing once more, Katara was left in grievous disbelief at the sheer heartlessness of the mob, and she lingered for a moment too long.

Her wrists stung sharply as the soldier holding her rope suddenly gave a fierce yank to force her to move again. Unprepared for the sudden jerk, Katara tripped and landed face-down on the rocky, dusty road.

The crowd just roared louder, merciless in their mockery.

With her eyes screwed shut, Katara could only feel the jeering of the horde thundering throughout her body. She could feel the painful, panicked thumping of her frightened heart as a fresh wave of terror crashed down on her. And then the ropes around her wrists had tightened again, and there was a grazing pain on her elbows and knees as she was brutally dragged up to her feet again. There was fresh blood on her arms and legs and face, and her joints now ached and throbbed anew. Her eyes stung with tears of pain and humiliation, and the dust from the road had peppered her face.

She gave a painful sneeze, and the crowd laughed louder still. But even with her vision blurred by her tears, she could feel their withering, burning stares.

Her spirit broken, Katara was grateful that the scornful chorus was indeed deafening. That way, no one could hear her weep.

* * *

_Just keep walking._

That was the only thing that Katara had the strength left to think about.

They had left the city, and its horrible laughter, far behind hours ago. The sun was low in the pink sky, just about to sink below the horizon.

Katara would've found it beautiful if she weren't so tired and hungry and thirsty. Not to mention the fact that she was still being unwillingly dragged along by a rope, practically dead on her feet, towards whatever prison that awaited her.

She was so exhausted that she barely took notice when they passed by a pair of metal doors and entered a courtyard, which was surrounded by metal walls on all sides.

In front of them lay a steel complex, intimidating and imposing in its sheer size. The building didn't have any windows, and there was the low hum of industrial machinery at work inside.

The prison neither looked nor sounded pleasant.

The warden in charge approached them.

The leader of the Southern Raiders strode to the front and took Katara's rope from his subordinate.

"Warden Eiji," the raider greeted, "I bring you a gift. The crippling blow to the Southern Water Tribe. Their last waterbender."

"Thank you, commander. My men and I will take a lot of pleasure out of her detainment," said the warden, taking the rope from the raider's hand. The commander turned back to his troops to address them.

"Alright men, let's move out. Our work here is done."

The raiders followed their commanding officer out of the prison courtyard, though not without hurling some final insults towards their trophy.

Katara just stared down at her toes, utterly demoralized by now.

The warden suddenly turned, and she was sharply yanked along by her rope again. She groaned, stumbling a little, her bare feet stinging on the sharp, rocky ground.

They entered the prison complex, and Katara's eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness. The only source of light in the building came from grates in the ceiling high above, and the temperature had doubled. The sudden heat wave made Katara nauseous, though she was too dehydrated at this point to even vomit.

Eventually they came to a large chamber that was filled with rows of metal cages. The cages were suspended high off the ground by chains attached to the ceiling.

They walked down the aisles in between the rows. Though she already felt sick the moment she stepped in the building, what gave Katara a horrible, sinking feeling was that all the cages she had seen so far were empty. The prison was so vast and huge, and she was so small and insignificant in comparison that her feelings of loneliness and isolation were heightened substantially.

After a short while, they finally approached a section of the prison that was inhabited by people. Three rows of cages held prisoners within them. Each row had ten cages. One row was filled up completely, the second row had all but one cage filled, while the third row had five of its cages occupied.

There were two dozen prisoners in total. Adding her, that total came up to twenty-five.

Twenty-five was already a large number. That was a considerable amount of waterbenders. And yet, they were nothing compared to the vastness of the prison.

Altogether, they wouldn't even fill up half the amount of cages she had seen on her way here.

Katara remembered all the stories that her Gran-Gran would tell her about how the Fire Nation had captured all the other waterbenders of their tribe long ago. She suddenly realized that she was looking at the remnants of that particular persecution.

Despite the intense heat, a chill ran down her spine at the revelation.

The warden came to a stop in between two rows. On the left was the first and the only full row. On the right was the row with one empty cage.

They had all noticed her by now. Their awareness and perception had been sluggish and lethargic, but as she focused on studying the faces of her brethren, they were now busying themselves with gazing upon the unfortunate newcomer.

An old man inhabited the first cage on the left row. After spotting her and noticing her age, he closed his eyes and lowered his head, his long and knotted hair falling in front of his face.

An old woman was imprisoned in the second cage on the right, behind the empty one. A look of horror ghosted her face, before despair sagged over her aged features and she too bowed her head, closing her eyes.

While there were several other elders, most of the prisoners were around her father's age. There were sighs of resignation and sadness, and some curled into themselves.

But other than a few small reactions here and there, they all just stared emptily at her, their eyes barren and soulless.

Katara just stood numbly herself, not trying to escape even as the warden started cutting through the bonds on her wrists. She had long since learned that obedience would be the only thing that would keep her alive.

Once the ropes were cut, the warden unlocked the first cage on the right row. His hands roughly seized her by the waist, and he yanked her small body off the ground, hurling her onto the floor of the cage. She yelped at the impact.

"Enjoy your stay here, child," he snarled in a low voice, his eyes alight with cruel pleasure, "For you will never see the outside world again."

Still sprawled on her side, immobilized by pain, Katara could only watch tearfully as the warden slammed the cage door shut.

There was a loud clang, and her soul, already broken, finally shattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for some symbolic trivia.
> 
> It won't be obvious just from description, but the cage that Katara is locked in is the same one where Hama was kept prisoner long ago.


End file.
